Finish for working surface of laundry irons and the like



Jan.20', 1942. K HN Em 2,270,316

FINISH FOR WORKING SURFACE OF LAUNDRY IRONS AND THE LIKE Filed July 7, 1941 nvvszvrons FRANK KUHN BY F LAURENCE II-1on5 MmI/MMW A T RNEYs r Patented Jan. 20, 1942 FINISH FOR woaxmc simmer: or

munnny IRONS AND 'rnn 1.1m:

Frank Kuhn, Detroit, and Laurence H. Thomas, Birmingham, Mich. assignors to American Electrical Heater Company, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application July 1,1941, Serial N... 401,3 g, 50mm (01. 38-93) 1 The invention relates to laundry irons and the like and has for its object reduction in the labor required for performance of work there with.

In the manual operation of ironing, a considerable portion of the effort required is in overcoming the frictional resistance to the sliding of the iron over the surface operated. upon. To reduce this resistance, it has been the practice to form the working surface of the laundryirons with a highly polished mirror-like finish. 'Also,

in recent years it has been usual to plate the working surface with a metal differing from that forming the body of the, iron, as, for instance,

nickel or chromium. Where thelatter material is used, it is customary toelectrolytically deposit it upon an under surface of some other metal such as nickel, which under surface is first prepared by imparting thereto a mirror-like finish which is reproduced in the chrome plating.

Our invention is based on the discovery that frictional resistance due to the movement of the iron over the surface with which it is in contact is reduced by substituting for the mirror-like surfacea surface less highly polished. It has .been found by carefully conducted scientific'tests that the frictional resistance measured by the force required to move the iron over the work can be reduced as much as fifty percent,.when a .dull finish is substituted for a mirror finish.

It has'also been found that where the less highly polished surface is formed by abrasive material moved in one direction with respect to the iron, the friction will be less to movement in this direction than to a movement transverse thereto. Inasmuchasa laundry iron is usually manipulated by a movement longitudinally there- Inasmuch as the change in structure is miexaggerated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a laundry iron illustrating diagrammatically the character of the working surface thereof;

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevationof Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section illustrating on a magnified scale the character of both the under and the working surface of the iron. v

As illustrated, A is a laundry iron of any suit able construction, and B is the bottom or sole plate thereof. formed of any suitable material such as iron or steel, which, after preliminary grinding, .is provided with a fairly heavy electrolytic deposit 0 of some other metal such as nickel. The lower surface of this coating is'then prepared, preferably by bufling with a soft fabric wheel and a suitable grade of abrasive. For the latter, emery or a similar abrasive may be used, of a grade between 120 and 400 grit, preferably 140. The

' the latter. so that the effect will be to form parallel microscopic lines extending longitudinally of the iron. The'prepared surface is themcoated with an electrolytic deposit D of chromium, which is quite thin and conforms to the characterof the under surface.

7 V Alaundry iron formed as above described will offer a greatly reduced frictional resistance to sliding movement over the surface that is being ironed, particularly where this movement is in of, a surface having'the microscopic lines therein extending longitudinally of the iron will have an advantage over one in which the linesextend in some other direction. While we do not fully understand the reason for such effect, experimental evidence has fully demonstrated the same.

Our invention therefore consists:

First, in a working surface for a laundry iron or the like which has a smoothbut non-mirrorlike character;

Second, in such a surface where the microscopic lines extendparallel to each other over themtire surface;

lines'extend parallel to each other. and longiafter set forth.

40 ing a substantially smooth but non-mirror-like a direction longitudinal with respect to the iron.

What we claim as our invention is: 1. In a laundry iron or the like, a sole plate provided with a metallic working surface havcharacteristic formed by parallel microscopic lines extending in one direction thereacross.

2. In a laundry'iron or the like, a sole plate provided ,with a non-mirror-like working surface with parallel microscopic lines extending in one direction thereacross corresponding to that produced by an abrasive of grit. v

3. In a laundry iron, a sole plate having a. non-mirror-like working surface with parallel i 50 microscopiclines therein extending longitudinally Third, in such a surface where the microscopic I of the iron.

4. In a .laundry iron. or the like, a sole plate having onits lower surface an electrolytic coatin: of another metal, .said coating having its outer surface smooth but non-mirror like and The body of this plate may be 2 2,270,310 with parallel microscopic lines extending longiresponding to that produced by an abrasive betudinally thereof, and. a chromium electrolytic tween 120 and 400 grit and with parallel microcoating upon said first-mentioned coating havscopic lines therein extending longitudinally of ing a corresponding surface. said sole plate.

5. In a laundry iron orthe like, a sole plate 5 FRANK KUHN. having a non-mirror-like working surface cor- LAURENCE H. THOMAS. 

